Photo/Illutration Taro Kono, the state minister in charge of administrative reform, meets reporters Sept. 10 to announce his intention to run in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. (Koichi Ueda)

Despite his reputation as a political maverick, Taro Kono has placed a lid on several of his past policy statements as he courts a wider following in his quest to become Japan's next prime minister by winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership race on Sept. 29.

When he announced plans Sept. 10 to contest the presidential election, Kono, 58, even tried to highlight his conservative side, saying that Japan’s foundation rested on the imperial family and its language, traits sustained by centuries of tradition, history and culture.

While Kono, the state minister in charge of administrative reform, is clearly favored by younger LDP lawmakers, he has gone out of his way to woo conservative elements in the party to win their support for the post now held by outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

He has been particularly careful in respect to policy issues pursued by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom he clashed on occasion when he was defense minister.

Kono was asked at the Sept. 10 news conference about his past comments that males from a maternal lineage in the imperial family should be allowed to become emperor. Under current law, only males from the paternal lineage are allowed to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Kono, in effect, dodged the question by saying he would await the recommendations of a panel of experts now looking into the issue. He also backtracked from the maternal lineage suggestion when he met with Abe on Sept. 8. Abe, who still wields immense power behind the scenes, has always championed only males from the paternal lineage becoming emperor.

During the news conference, Kono also asserted there was no need for any further investigation into the dubious sale of state-owned land to the Moritomo Gakuen educational institution that once had cozy ties to Abe’s wife, Akie.

Kono in the past had been an advocate for moving away from nuclear power. But at the news conference, he said operations at nuclear plants could be resumed if safety was ensured to achieve the government's goal of net zero emissions of greenhouse gases.

The lengths to which Kono is going to reassure veteran lawmakers is in marked contrast to the only other time he ran for LDP president in 2009, when the party was in the opposition. At that time, he named veteran politicians such as former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori when he blurted out that “those who continue to hold negative tendencies” should not be allowed on the same political team.

Kono’s past calls to rid the LDP of its intraparty factions and allow younger lawmakers a greater role, as well as abrupt policy directional changes as foreign and defense minister, raised doubts among some older LDP members about his ability to make level-headed decisions if he rises to the pinnacle of power.

Even members of the LDP faction led by longtime Finance Minister Taro Aso, a crony of Abe's to which Kono is beholden as a fellow faction member, have raised questions about what they consider to be his drastic policy suggestions.

But Kono's gambit this time around shows he is deadly serious about reaching the top. He has made almost daily calls on Aso as well as other senior faction members to seek their understanding and support.

Of course, it remains to be seen if these efforts will win Kono more votes.

He held a meeting on Sept. 10 for Aso faction members to explain his decision to run. Only about 30 of the 53 members showed up, with almost no faction executives in attendance.

(This article was written by Junya Sakamoto, Ayako Nakada and Taro Ono.)

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